


A Wish for the Truth

by Vay



Category: Kpop - Fandom, SEVENTEEN (Band), SEVENTEEN - Fandom
Genre: AU-fantasy, Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Betrayal, Fantasy World, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Genies, It may get slightly dark, It's Fantasy so not everything has to make sense loophole, M/M, Magic, Multi, Murderers, Slow Burn, jihancheol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-10-01 22:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20418614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vay/pseuds/Vay
Summary: Three wishes, stranded in the rubble of a forgotten village. Three delicate wishes whose existence were hanging on the tips of a single being, tortured and erased. It is with this being where the story began and it is with this being, that someone hopes it will end......The man breathed in deeply, tapping the hilt of his sword. “ I hope you enjoy serving others, Jeonghan.”(I really don't know how to write summaries...)





	1. Teaser

Three wishes, stranded in the rubble of a forgotten village. Three delicate wishes whose existence were hanging on the tips of a single being, tortured and erased. It is with this being where the story began and it is with this being, that someone hopes it will end:

In this world, not even a hundred years ago, a man and a murderer stood face to face in a desert. The wind whistled. Animals scurried off behind rocks. The sun rays penetrated the skin of the man. The first man, stood tall. His shoulders rolled. His hands tightened their grip upon his sword. With heavy steps he moved forward, muttering a small curse.

The murderer’s knees ached as they fell onto the dirt beneath him. His head bowed, blonde hair dangling loosely. Every breath he took was strangled, quick. Vines crawled out of the ground and twisted around his arms, the thorns digging into his skin. He tugged on his arms, only for the plants to tighten. In the next second, a sword slid beneath his chin. Slowly his head was raised, and he stared straight into the man’s eyes.

“ Death is too gracious of a gift for you.” The man hissed out.

The murderer chuckled softly, his eyes softening. “ As if life is so kind.”

With lidded eyes, the man pushed the point of his weapon against the other’s neck. “ The goddess may change your fate, but…”

The man trailed off, pulling a golden compass out of his pocket with his free hand. Gently, he blew on it, whistling a small tune. As his lips closed, the whistling continued to echo, traveling to the murderer’s ears. The tune was familiar.

A tune of the pixies.

“No.” The murderer cried out. “ NO!”

“ I wish you to never find peace, and to live with the hell of these memories to torture you for as long as the realm of time exists.”  
  
And as the tune grew louder, the compass breathed out a purple smoke. Slowly, it traveled around the murderer. The said man, struggled against his binds, stumbling onto this feet as he tried to move away from the encroaching smoke. The man gently placed the compass onto the desert floor, and began his descent through the sandy hills.

Within seconds, Jeonghan vanished within the smoke. The man stopped, listened. It was quiet.

And then there was a scream that faded as the smoke curled back into the compass. The murderer no longer there.

The man breathed in deeply, tapping the hilt of his sword. “ I hope you enjoy serving others, Jeonghan.”

As he began to walk again, hundreds of vines sprung out from behind the sand caging the compass to the outside world.

It is here that the story begins.


	2. The Devil's Oasis

Under the burning suns, the vines thickened. Through years of murderous heat, and curious animals clawing at the phenomenon, it stood strong. It’s perseverance intrigued many. Those who passed by it couldn’t help but to tell stories; Artists drew of the nature, claiming it to be the Devil’s Oasis, for how else could plants with thorns crawl out of a death land such as that desert. Bards were inspired, singing tiny melodies of the roses that occasionally bloomed from them. Warriors playfully tried to cut down the vines, only to find them impenetrable, this story would be one to follow them through war times, sometimes as a joke and sometimes as a pure mystery. 

The Devil’s Oasis was the muse for fairytales and magical wonders. Children spread tales to their school friends. They would tell stories of how the vines held the greatest demon ever to walk amongst mankind miles beneath the sand. They created games about how they would defeat it if it were ever to come alive. The Devil’s Oasis became a part of the culture, so engrained that neighborhoods began to move to the edge of the desert, just for closer access. 

It took not even fifty years for cities to send people on excursions to try to discover anything they could about it. Magicians tried curses, hexes, and simple spells to uncurl the vines for even a glimpse at the hidden treasure, but to no avail.

Almost a hundred years had the vines laid there, when a man with wavy black hair scurried into the desert. A backpack hooked onto his right shoulder, a bandana tight around his face, only his eyes could be seen. This man, if he had three wishes would stare into the sky and ask for childish things. He would say it with all his heart though, and then he’d smile. He’d smile so his gums would show and his eyes would crinkle. A small happy laugh would accidentally slip out. Even the gods would find it hard to deny him his useless gifts.

He trudged through the desert, his focused eyes never wavering. Only an hour into his journey did he see it. Hr scurried over to the mysterious plant. He dropped to his knees and carefully let his fingers flutter across it. His shoulders relaxed, and a grin made its way onto his face. 

“ Hey there.” The boy said. “ I’m Seungcheol.” 

He waited for a response, but received only the wind’s call. He bit his lip and quietly laughed to himself. 

“ This is probably weird.” He began. His finger accidentally grazed a thorn, but he made no motion to retract his hand. “ You’re probably used to people comin’ in and tryin’ to rip you apart and curse you and all that mumbo-jumbo right?” 

Seungcheol fell onto his butt, crossing his legs. “ Right… well I thought I’d try something different.” He made his hands into imaginary guns, moving them slightly at the vines. 

“ How about it?”

The vines stayed still. As if that was an answer, Seungcheol dug into his backpack and pulled out a book. It was brown, tearing at the edges, and as he flipped through it, one could see the immense detail withered into its pages. 

“ It’s old I know. My fiancé- well my boyfriend wrote in it. Even when he was finished with it, he continued to try to fill in every blank space. The doodles are mine.” Seungcheol flipped the book around for the vine to see. “ He says he hates when I doodle in the notebooks, but I think it is fine. It gives it character, some kind of life, you know?”

“ Besides he loves me too much to kill me over a couple of drawings.” A strange smile appeared on the man’s face. “ I love him so much. Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask if he wants to marry me. I’ve thought about it so long, I already see him as my fiancé. We’re just, always very busy.”

A bug flew onto the vines. Seungcheol shook his head, as if he shook the thoughts away. 

“ Right, well anyway. I came here not to tell you all about my love life, which is really interesting if you ever want to hear about it…but no, I um, I came here to read you all the stories about you. I don’t know what kind of stories you do like, but people tend to like stories about themselves so I am assuming plants are the same.” 

As Seungcheol flipped through the page he pet the vines softly. “ Just, if you enjoy it can you let me see what’s underneath all of the vines? Please?”

Even without the response, Seungcheol placed a finger on the page and began to read. Some of the stories were funny, insane tellings, while others were tear-jerkers. He must have spent hours reading to the plant. Every time he flipped the page he glanced up to see if anything had changed. 

Nothing had.

As he finished a good half of the book, the suns had begin to set on either side of the land. The skies were filled with soft pink and orange hues.Seungcheol closed the book, and stared at the plant for a few silent moments. 

But nothing happened. 

With a sigh, he stood. He shoved the book into his backpack, shaking the sand off of his jeans. “ God, I really am stupid to think talking to plants even works.” Exhausted he wiped the sweat from his brow, combing his hair back with his fingers as he did so.

He kicked some sand before turning his back to the Devil’s Oasis. His feet dragging his body away. Despite himself, he wondered, “ Would one more page be enough?”

As he was almost out of sight, he glanced back. He hoped for the vines to disperse, the treasure, if there was any treasure, to shimmer.

Nothing.

He continued home. 

However, had he looked back for just a second more, he would have seen a vine shift. 

His home was in the middle of a bustling town. With little to work with, their world was filled with reds, oranges and browns. Occasionally a green fabric would stick out within the crowd. The roads were narrow, but for most people that was not a problem. There were walk ways built ten feet above the streets to main parts of the towns. The roads may have been a direct passage from one place to another, but it was no where as safe as the walk ways above. Many business tried to sell on both of the routes, but only few survived the streets. 

Seungcheol’s home was in the direct center. Some would say it was a steal of a place; The location and the price great. Seungcheol would have to argue about that; The center of the town was rarely a quiet place. 

Dodging the vendors, the carts and the bargains, he made his way home. Their door was blue. It took a lot of time and money, but Seungcheol regretted none of it when he saw the look of pure delight as his lover stared at their door. 

They have the only blue door in the city. 

As he opened the door, he was greeted with silence. 

“It’s the local murderer!” He called out. 

No reply.

“Babe?”

When he heard nothing once more, he chuckled to himself. In a few moments he found himself at their backdoor. There, only a foot away from him was his rose-colored hair, boyfriend. Seungcheol watched as the other man continuously threw a book into the air.

“ Okay, I have to ask. What are you doing?” Seungcheol asked.

Joshua glanced over with a cheeky grin. “ I made a book sing today, thought I should try making it fly this time.”

“Sing?”

“YEAH!” Joshua exclaimed, excited. “ You want to see?” 

Seungcheol shuffled out into the backyard, chuckling. “ Of course! Show me.”

In the next moments, a purple dust sprinkled out form Joshua’s fingertips. The book’s pages fluttered. Joshua muttered an incantation and then suddenly, the book was singing. 

Terribly. 

“Fuck!” Seungcheol cursed, covering his ears. Joshua instinctually dropped the book onto the grass, but it continued to sing. “Is it supposed to sound bad?”

Joshua squinted an eye as if it would help decrease the sound. “ I’m guessing so… the last one I had sing sounded bad too.”

“Well.. Turn it off!” Seungcheol requested.

“I uh, well… funny story.” Joshua grinned, tiptoeing away from the operatic book. “ I don’t know how to.”

Seungcheol hurriedly grabbed Joshua’s arm, and pulled him into their home, slamming the backdoor. Although the book could still be heard, it was considerably quieter.

“How’d you stop the other book?” 

Joshua averted his gaze, his head bouncing back and forth as if physically debating his answer. “ I didn’t.”

“Then what did you do?” Seungcheol’s eyes widened.

“ I couldn’t get it to shut up, and my boss was getting pissed off so I ran it over to Dokyeom’s place and just left it there.”

“On his front porch?”

“…His window was open.”

“‘Shua.”

“I had no other choice Cheollie.” 

“Was Dokyeom home?”

Joshua shrugged. 

“Did you hear a scream when you threw it into the house?”

“Honestly, I couldn’t tell. I had half the neighborhood screaming at me for holding the damn book.”

“Cool…cool…”

Joshua awkwardly smiled, shrugging his shoulders once again. “Doesn’t solve this one though.”

“Maybe Dokyeom has another window open.”

Joshua glared.

“Hey, you did it first, don’t get mad at me.” Seungcheol raised his hands in defense. 

Joshua dragged a hand down his face, sighing. “ What if I just turn it over for now, and I can figure it out later.”

“Do you think it will tire itself out.”

“We can only hope.”

And as if the world depended on this, Seungcheol held the door at the ready. Joshua had his hands attached to his ears. Quietly, Seungcheol counted down. A bead of sweat practically slipping down the side of his face. 

“GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!” Seungcheol exclaimed, pointing towards their enemy. 

Joshua charged out. For a split second he stumbled back as the singing got louder. 

“SHUT THE DAMN THING UP!” Their neighbor screamed. Joshua raised a hand, apologetically only to instantly regret it. Quickly he covered his ears once more.

Within the next minute, Joshua sprinted to the book, and kicked it over, the pages face down into he ground. For extra measure he kicked some dirt onto the cover. Cautiously, Joshua lowered his hands. The singing was still there, but no where near as deafening. 

Victorious, Joshua marched back into the house. “ The town is now saved.”

Seungcheol chuckled, wrapping a gentle arm around Joshua’s shoulders. “ My hero.” 

Joshua grinned right back, curling his fingers into the fabric of Seungcheol’s shirt. “ Does your hero get a reward?”

Seungcheol purses his lip, and shrugs. “ Maybe a small one.”

And with that, Seungcheol curled his fingers into the end of the other man’s hair, pulling him in close. His other hand wrapping around the waist tightly. Then with the tenderness only Seungcheol could possess, he pressed his lips against the other.

The rest of their night was simple; Seungcheol watched Joshua show off all of the new spells he learned. Often times, something would go wrong. (They used to have two chairs, now they only have one and a new collection of wood to add to their fire place.) But even so, Seungcheol found every single spell mesmerizing, and every mistake, perfect. 

As they curled up into their bed, Joshua asked, “ Did you go to the vines today?”

“Yeah.”

“Did it work?”

Seungcheol shuffled his body under the covers, the blanket stopping at his nose. “ I don’t think so.”

“Will you go tomorrow?”

Seungcheol glanced at the bag in the corner of the room. “ Maybe after work.”

Joshua blew out their candles.

With that, the two drifted off into sleep and the morning following shortly after. Seungcheol was the first to wake. He left the other man with a kiss to his forehead. Joshua didn’t even stir.

Seungcheol adored his work. He studied it since he was a small child, barely able to hold the hammer. Some, after having trained in the art for so long would find themselves weary of the repetitive lifestyle. But Seungcheol only found it more enrapturing. 

He worked as a blacksmith. Everyday, he’d find himself with a list of items to create. He was well known amongst the people for his delicate handy work and generous prices. However, only a few people ever visited the shop a day. 

When his customer count was naught, he would light a lantern, and put his attention into a sword. Perhaps one day, the sword would slay a wild beast, win a miraculous war for their country. This is what he dreamed of with every bang of the hammer into the bronze. 

But for the next few days, his mind was often elsewhere. He thought of what could be hidden beneath the vines. What does the Devil’s Oasis hide? 

As he closed down his shop, he’d grab his bag and rush through the city streets. Stealthily, he’d hitch a ride on a passing wagon, waving to the townsfolk they passed. For the next few days, he’d pass his normal stop, deciding it was not yet time to venture home. Instead, he hiked to the Devil’s Oasis. 

Each one of these days, he brought a book. He read endless passages to the vines. It was on day three when he noticed a difference in the vines.

“JOSHUA!” Seungcheol exclaimed as he stumbled into their house, the door slamming open. His feet hopped out of his shoes. His hands haphazardly dropping his bag onto the floor boards. “ Joshua, babe! Guess what?”

He slid into their small kitchen cove, barely large enough for the two of them. Joshua glanced up from the counter, his eyes wide, shoulders tense. A paper, slightly crinkled laid in front of him. Seungcheol skidded to a stop. 

“ What’s wrong?” Seungcheol asked, walking cautiously to the other’s side.

On the paper, in bold, large letters, it was written; “ Warning of Eviction”. Seungcheol skimmed the contents, his heart constricting at the large number of unpaid bills. 

“ It’ll be okay.” Seungcheol said. 

“We have to pay at least half of this or we have to move out Seungcheol. This is not an “It’ll be okay.” Kind of situation.” Joshua reprimanded. 

“ How much money do we have now?” Seungcheol asked.

Joshua quietly shook his head. 

In an unearthly quiet, the two huddled onto their rugs in front of the fire, counting their wares. That evening was filled with soft hands tugging on rough ones, and a little less magic in the air. 

The following day, as the sun began to set, Seungcheol marched back into the desert. His shoulders heavy, his legs dragging. He didn’t carry a bag this time, only a water canteen attached to his hip. 

He fell to his knees beside the vines. “ I don’t have a story to tell you today.” 

Tired, Seungcheol gulped down some water. His canteen only a quarter full. “ I’m sorry. I shouldn’t even be here, I should have stayed at the shop for a few more hours, haul in whatever I could, but I just. Something is telling me you can help me.”

The blooming flower on the vines, drooped slightly. 

“ Please, my boyfriend loves his job, I could never ask him to quit it for something more, more I don’t know, affordable.”

The wind whistled. Seungcheol dragged a frustrated hand against his face. 

“ What even the fuck am I thinking of. You’re a plant, why would a plant- no how would a plant even help. So stupid.” Seungcheol punched the ground. “ So fuckin’ stupid…. fuck.”

Seungcheol stood up, brushing the sand from his knees. He looked over the unmoving plant once more. His eyes trailed over every vine, every thorn. They stopped however, on the wilting flower. With a jaded sigh, Seungcheol emptied his canteen onto the vine, right near the flower. As he closed the cap on the canteen, he watched the vines slowly spread. 

Seungcheol stumbled back, eyes wide. The vines separated, as if it opened a door. Discreetly, Seungcheol peered over the nest of vines into the center. Glimmering in wait, was a gold box. Hesitant, Seungcheol reached his hand forward. When nothing moved, he shuffled his feet closer, bending at the waist. The moment his hands touched the compass, he snapped his wrist back. His eyes traveled over every inch of the land, as if it was a trap ready to spring. 

But nothing.

So he reached again, and pried the golden box from the pit of the vines. The moment the compass was held protectively to his chest, the vines sunk back into the earth. Seungcheol shakily, held the box to his face. His reflection sparkled. 

He turned towards the town, and ran.

He never ran home faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO EVERYONE!
> 
> I am back with my second Jihancheol fanfiction! I hope this one receives a warm welcome just like the other one, it's a different world and concept but still... hope it is interesting! I was really concerned about writing this, like will it be as good? Will anyone be interested in this? Is it too similar to the other one?
> 
> What do you think of the first chapter? It's a bit slow, and it is an introduction but it will pick up I promise. I don't expect this story to be too long, but you never know!
> 
> What do you think of the characters so far? Jeonghan? Seungcheol? Joshua? 
> 
> I listened to RPG Playlist- Tavern/Inn Music when writing this. 
> 
> ALSO! In pure VAY fashion. I don't really have any advice this time around, but I just wanted to cheer you all on. A lot of people are back in school and that can be terrifying! But!!!! You will be okay! Take deep breathes, and don't be afraid to ask questions. You do not have to ask the questions in class or in front of people! You can always go to your teacher after hours, or between classes. You can also email them. Some teachers may recommend asking classmates before asking them, and that can be stressful. Just do what suits you best. At the end of the day, teachers are there to teach, and help. 
> 
> Have a wonderful day, week, month, whenever you read this! You deserve it.
> 
> Your Obedient Servant,
> 
> V.AY


	3. The Devil's Compass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joshua tilted his head, confused. The rose-haired boy leaned forward as, the stranger, Jeonghan grabbed at his throat. His fingers gently hovering over it like a shield. The blonde’s knee curled in tighter against his chest, his eyes sharpening. 
> 
> Quickly, Joshua whispered to Seungcheol. “ Apologize.” 
> 
> “What?” Seungcheol responded.
> 
> “Just do it.”
> 
> Instantly, Seungcheol snapped his attention to Jeonghan. “ I’m sorry!” 
> 
> The eyes however did not soften. With a shaky voice, the blonde asked. “ What the fuck did you do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! I never edit my stories. SORRY!

If the fairytales that children shared during recess were of the vines harboring a man with bloodlust, one can only imagine the stories they shared when news of the vines spread. The town was in a frenzy the second news reached the outer gates. Who spread the rumor so fast, no one will ever know. They say though, the moment a guard saw a black haired man sprint through the streets, the guard traveled to the desert. This guard had become confused, momentarily lost as their century long map-marker had vanished. 

As Seungcheol ventured through the streets, the whispers had already begun. Some had dropped their trades at their feet, and ran for the sands. The streets were never emptier. 

The moment Seungcheol reached the blue door, he let out an excited squeal. His fingers fumbling for the keys. Once inside, he fell onto the red, rug in front of the fire place. His hands shaking as he stared into the compass. The gold layers flickered in the light. Excitedly, he opened the box. Inside the cardinal points were written in a shining silver. The needle spinning around in slow, steady circles, directionless.

“It’s so beautiful.” Seungcheol whispered. “ But what do I do with you?”

In one hand he closed the box. The man squinted his eyes as he inspected it. As a blacksmith he had an eye for materials, could practically spot a good iron from a mile away. He rivaled the jewelry in town for recognizing fake versus real supplies. However, he couldn’t pinpoint this gold. It felt real, it shined softly. Fake gold would sparkle like the stars in the sky. Real gold though, only carried the light.

He cradled it close to himself, accepting it as it was. 

“Maybe I can sell you?” He thought, gently rubbing his thumb against the box. His reflection morphed.

At that moment, a purple fog seeped out from the cracks, crawling over his fingers. Instantly, Seungcheol dropped it onto the rug. The smoke intensified. It traveled across the rug, the floors. Seungcheol stared in horror. As it reached his nose, he coughed. His nose twitching at the sensation. 

“What the fuck.” Seungcheol whispered. He cautiously lifted his shirt over his nose, never letting his eyes stray from the events before him. 

Suddenly, blonde hair appeared within the smoke, followed by tan skin and white fabric. Seungcheol watched in suppressed curiosity, as the back of a man appeared before him. It hovered two feet above the compass, the purple fog hiding everything beneath it. 

“What?” A voice mumbled. 

Seungcheol stared as the floating torso turned, and he was greeted with a blonde haired, beautiful man, his eyes cold. Adorning the man’s arms were gold gauntlets, reaching to the end of his forearm. Engraved into the bracelets were three markings, untranslatable to Seungcheol.

“What the fuck.” The man’s voice was softer than Seungcheol would have imagined, more intoxicating. The man glanced down, staring at the smoke where his legs should have been. “Where the fuck-,”

His head snapped up, narrowing towards Seungcheol. “ Who are you?!”

Defensively, Seungcheol raised his hands. “ I’m Seungcheol.”

The blonde man tilted his head, scanning the other for every detail. Curiously, the blonde hovered forward, but as he distanced himself from the compass, the smoke vanished. In the next second the man found himself crashing into the floor. On instinct, Seungcheol reached his arms out, catching the man by the shoulders. 

“ Get the fuck off.” The man exclaimed, shoving the other. Seungcheol graciously let go, letting himself fall back. As he did so, he noticed the other man’s leg stumble. They shook, and the knees buckled. But despite this, the man stood tall, only modeling a pair of white, parachute pants. 

A dreadful silence sprung upon them. The blonde glanced around the abode, lazily evaluating the space; It was small, crowded and perhaps a little too messy, but somehow, the man found it charming. As his gaze trailed, he spotted the compass. With a curse, he trudged towards it. Gracefully, he reached down, picking it up between his fingers. The purple mist lingered at the cracks of the box. If he listened closely he could hear the playful melody humming. His fingers dug into the gold, nails scratching at the surface. More he stared, louder the tune became. For a second, a mere second, he swore he could hear a high pitched giggle. 

His lips twisted, his head cocked. He rolled his shoulders, narrowed his eyes at the far window. Digging his heel into the carpet, he raised his arm. And within a blink of the eye, he hurled the object miles away him, cracking the glass. The tune of the pixies becoming just a mere thought for a cloudy day. 

At least, that’s what he had hoped to happen. As the compass flew threw the air, and Seungcheol scrambled across the floor to grab it, the compass vanished. Only a the fog left as a memory. With a hand out reached, Seungcheol froze. Slowly, he relaxed on to his knees, staring at the space only inches away from him. 

And then.

Poof.

The compass fluttered down, into Seungcheol’s lap. There was an eerie silence spreading across the floorboards. The blonde man’s shoulders tensed. The soft melody rang louder. A chorus of mandolins and hypnotizing voices skipped from ear to ear. A soft drumming beat took control of their heartbeats. 

Bum. Bum. Bum. 

Seungcheol grabbed at his chest. The fire flickered. The chairs shook. Books tumbled from the shelves. 

Bum. Bum. Bum.

The two men stared at the compass. Their gazes unwavering. Their breathing unstable. The compass slowly seemed to gain weight in Seungcheol’s grasp, weighing his fingers to the floorboards. 

And then, everything went quiet. The compass becoming as light as a nobleman’s feather. 

“ Wow.” Seungcheol gasped. 

“ No. Not ‘wow’.” The blonde hissed out, his arms crossed. “ It’s horrifying. Get rid of it. Go. Shoo.”

Seungcheol narrowed his eyes at the other man. “ Isn’t this your home?”

“My what?! Excuse you but I wouldn’t live in that thing.” 

“You literally poofed out of it.” 

“ I don’t remember doing that.” The blonde crinkled his nose, turning towards the fire. “ Just crush it or something.”

“ You had smoke for legs.”

“ That’s not a compliment.” 

“ I’m sorry…” Seungcheol’s head bowed slightly. “ WAIT! It wasn’t supposed to be. That’s literally what happened.”

The other man shrugged. “ If you don’t break it, I will.”

As the blonde stomped over, Seungcheol stumbled to his feet, holding the compass away. 

“ Last time you did something to it I felt my heart fleeing from my chest.” Seungcheol announced. 

“ And that’s my problem, how?” The blonde stepped forward.

Seungcheol stepped back.

Like a dance, one stepped forward.

The second stepped back.

Forward.

Back.

Forward. 

SLAM!

The entrance door bursted open. The two men snapped their necks as they glimpsed at the newcomer. Standing in the archway, was no other than Joshua. Sporting a disheveled head of hair, and a once-white-nicely-pressed, now-soot-covered scholarly outfit, the man stumbled in. A cloth bag, filled to the brim with books were heaved onto the carpet. His steps were heavy as he worked his way from the door. As he passed the two, he absent-mindedly patted the bare-shoulder of the blonde. 

“ I’ll be right with you.” He mumbled. Slowly, his hand traveled to the hair, ruffling it slightly. 

But then his footsteps stopped. He ruffled the hair again. 

The blonde’s eyes narrowed, eyebrows curling. 

“What?” Joshua mumbled, moving his fingers through the hair again. Calmly, the rose-haired boy turned on his heel. As he moved closer to the stranger, the blonde could see the bags under the eyes. 

“ Get. Your. Hands. Out. Of. My. Hair.” The blonde threatened, squaring his shoulders.

The words seemed to float around the room, missing their target. Joshua pulled on a strand, carelessly. 

“Fuck.” The blonde cursed, quickly slapping the villainous hand to the side.

Unfazed, Joshua scanned the new face. Then he turned. 

“ Nope. Not mine. Not my problem.” And like that, he was back on his path to the kitchen. 

Seungcheol watched from his place beside their hallway table. His hands studying himself on the edge, careful not to push any of the writing supplies to the floor. The black-haired man could hardly keep the smile from appearing on his lips, along with the small chuckle. 

“Seungcheol!” Joshua yelled from their tiny kitchen. Before Seungcheol could respond, Joshua continued. “ There is a strange guy in the house. Can you take care of it?”

The blonde twisted his head towards the one in question. Seungcheol lifted a hand to cover his mouth at the confused expression. 

“Excuse you?! Did you call me an it!? Don’t just ignore me.” The blonde yelled out. “ Get back here.”

It was hard for Seungcheol to find the scene anything but amusing: The mysterious blonde stomped his way across the hall. His fingers curled into his side. As he took a step, Seungcheol noticed a small purple sparkle appearing and vanishing. Joshua, on the other hand kept his back to the stranger, fiddling with a few vials spread across one of the counters. As the blonde reached out to grab the collar of the boy’s robes, Joshua swerved beneath it, starting towards the back door. 

“I’m shutting up the book now!” Joshua announced as he trailed into the back. The blonde’s hand froze in the air at those words. 

“ Book?” The stranger mumbled. 

Seungcheol felt himself gripping at his sides, laughter begging to slip out. 

Outside, Joshua stood over the half buried book. All the while, the blonde watched from the back archway. The cover shook within the dirt, a blood-curling song screeching from the pages, thankfully muffled by the ground. He stared at it solemnly. With his feet, he flipped it over, welcoming the world to the haunting sound. Instinctually, the blonde stumbled back covering his ears. 

Within the house, Seungcheol did the same. His fingers curling as if it would be of more protection. 

Joshua continued to stand there, then slowly lifted his hand. Within his grasp was a green vial, and with a lack of a care, he tilted it above the book. The green liquid within the vial, slipped out. As if it was slow motion, it dripped onto the book turning the torturous singing into horrendous crying. Nevertheless, Joshua continued on, pouring more of the liquid onto it. Within the next few seconds, the sound ceased to exist. 

And so did the book. 

In its place was a hole, perhaps only a couple inches deep. A proud, almost childish grin snuck onto Joshua’s face.

“ Did you just kill a book?” The blonde asked. Finally, Joshua turned to look at the stranger. 

“Seungcheol! He’s still here!” Joshua announced.

With impeccable speed, Seungcheol rushed over to the two. Seungcheol grinned, flashing an innocence only he could carry. 

“Actually… funny story. I brought him here.” 

Joshua glanced over at the blonde, followed by gazing at Seungcheol. His eyes traveled down his partner’s arms, to the compass dangling at his fingertips. More he watched the gold box, more he felt his shoulders relax. As he made eye contact with Seungcheol, he nodded his head as if he understood exactly what it all meant. Seungcheol would tell you, that that is indeed what it meant. A smile of defeat made its way upon Joshua’s face, before he began traveling to the two at the door step. 

It did not take long for the three of them to make their way back to in front of their fireplace. As Joshua curled himself onto a few of their pillows beside the flame, Seungcheol was quick to drape a blanket across his shoulders’. Seungcheol then curled himself at Joshua’s side. The blonde watched from the wooden chair only a couple feet across from them. Despite sitting on the higher ground, something felt depowering. He lifted a knee to his chest, resting an arm across it. His fingers fiddled with one another as the silence only grew. For that brief moment, the blonde wished for the pixie melody to return once again; Anything to distract him. 

Seungcheol busily started to tell Joshua of his harrowing journey through the desert, and the miracle that was the vines moving. Every word seemed to spark the light back into Joshua’s eyes, the eye bags slowly vanishing. Soon, Joshua was laughing alongside the other. The blanket having fallen forgotten to the floorboards. 

“And then you slammed the door open!” Seungcheol exclaimed. 

“ And then what?” Joshua asked jokingly.

The blonde rolled his eyes, finally adding to the conversation. “ And then you destroyed a book and we sat here for hours just to hear Mr. Smiles over here tell an overly long story to explain that I smoked out of a compass.” 

Seungcheol grinned sheepishly, a hand scratching at the back of his head.

“ And it was a great story.” Joshua countered. “ Very informational, but what I have yet to learn, is your name and why you were in that compass in the first place.”

The blonde shrugged his shoulders, leaning into the wooden chair. Joshua tilted his head, staring at the boy endlessly. The stranger crinkled his nose. 

“ What’s your name?”

“ I don’t think you need it.” 

Joshua twisted his lips. “ Just tell us your name.”

“ I don’t want to.”

“ I am not above pouring the green vial on to you.”

The stranger shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “ As if it’ll do anything. I turn into smoke, remember?”

“ So you admit you turn into smoke?” Seungcheol piped in.

“I admit nothing.”

Seungcheol whined softly; “Just tell us.”

“No.”

“Tell him.” Seungcheol said once more, his voice seeming more stern, more tired.

The blonde’s eyes widened in horror as he felt a pull on his vocal cords. His lips parting involuntarily; “ Jeonghan.”

Joshua tilted his head, confused. The rose-haired boy leaned forward as, the stranger, Jeonghan grabbed at his own throat. His fingers gently hovering over it like a shield. The blonde’s knee curled in tighter against his chest, his eyes sharpening. 

Quickly, Joshua whispered to Seungcheol. “ Apologize.” 

“What?” Seungcheol responded.

“Just do it.”

Instantly, Seungcheol snapped his attention to Jeonghan. “ I’m sorry!” 

The eyes however did not soften. With a shaky voice, the blonde asked. “ What the fuck did you do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELCOME TO CHAPTER 2! 
> 
> I'm trying really hard to make sure the story is different than the first one, but it just sort of wrote it self, so I hope it is good! I don't have a full outline for this story, I know what happens but I haven't planned it out yet. I'm saying this because I have no idea how long it is going to be. (Originally I wanted this to be only five chapters.... HA! That's not happening)
> 
> ANYWAY! What did you think of the second chapter?! Everyone has met finally. We destroyed the book! Are you going to miss the book? I know I will. What do you think happened at the end? What do you think of everyone's relationship to each other? 
> 
> My favorite part about writing this one, is building up the mystery, and getting to play with how people interact with each other. 
> 
> GUESS WHAT TODAY'S ADVICE OF THE DAY IS?! It is..... CONSENT. 
> 
> I hope all of you understand and acknowledge consent. Consent though is not just a sex thing, and that's what I want to talk to you about. Consent is given in a lot of aspects of life you may not recognize; Hugs, sharing food, borrowing pencils, sharing toys, entering people's houses, listening to other people's problems. These are all things you are perfectly allowed to reject or approve. If you can not or do not want to do one of, or other things, you are ALLOWED TO SAY NO. 
> 
> Saying no does not mean you are mean. It does not mean you are selfish. It means you are watching out for yourself. You aren't an asshole for that. You are asking for people to respect your boundaries. The one who is an asshole is the one who doesn't listen to your request. 
> 
> If you can't or are uncomfortable with sharing a pencil for whatever reason, then say no. You are not obligated to do so. Sure, it's a nice "gesture", but the person is not going to die. They can always ask someone else. 
> 
> If you are too tired to help someone emotionally, then it is okay to make that clear. You are not a horrible person if you say you can not chat. If you are exhausted, but scared to leave the person by themselves, then direct them to someone or something else. Call a friend, or a family member, or give them a number of hotline. There are always other options.
> 
> I really just want you all to understand, especially my younger readers, that Consent is more than for just sex. And yes, it is scary and intimidating to not be the ideal "perfect, nice person" in life. But more you practice self-care, and recognize when you can and can't do something will help you in the long run.
> 
> Saying no is scary, so start small. If you don't want to hang out one day, say no. If you don't want to give the student who cheats off your test a pencil, then say no. ( I was scared as a student and would always not so casually, cover my tests as my silent protest)
> 
> This is just a little reminder from Big Sister Vay. 
> 
> Thank you for reading my story!
> 
> Your Obedient Servant,
> 
> V.AY


	4. The Devil’s Curse

When someone is gifted the ability to see, the world celebrates. For many this sense is of utmost importance, while to some, it has become their ruler. Every motion, and every thought is dependent on what one can or will see. Their eyes are gateways, and once they are closed people believe it will hoard off any evil wishing to transcend upon them. Children would shut their eyes tightly, when an imaginary threat hid inside their wardrobes. Adults would close their eyes, forcing the magic of the world to cease, so they could concentrate on music the town bard would play.

But for some, those born with such a gift would find themselves eventually shrouded in darkness. And for very few, they would know they could still see, but they were constantly searching for an object -any object- to let them prove they still had the gift. Jeonghan, for almost a hundred years was one of these tortured souls.

His hands would graze the walls, memorizing every tiny bump. His fingers trailed the scratches. At times he’d feel the material heat up, his fingers warming at the touch. The only proof that he had not went blind, was the tiniest shimmer of light, stretching across the middle of his container. At what he could only assume was night, the light would cease.

And he’d scream into the void. He’d scream until his voice vanished into the windless air.

And at that moment, everything would become so, so, so silent. He’d fall to his knees. He’d scratch at the surface. His breathing would echo throughout his new world.

It would cause no one to wonder why he would curl into the corner some days, staring listlessly into nothing.

Some would imagine the childish hymns of the pixies would be a comfort. A sound, any sound for many would be a sign of life, and freedom. It would be relaxing.

But for Jeonghan, when the tune would begin, it was only a song of mockery, filling his ears.

However, when he felt his name leave his lips against his will, he almost craved the song once more. The moments following the event were a haunting silence.

His eyes were burning, cheeks reddening as he continued to glare at the two strangers. He dug his fingers into his own neck, craving to scratch what ever curse was encircling his voice. Even before he found himself in the horrendous compass, few knew of his real name. It was a pleasure to very few, and a misfortune to others.

The black haired man had his mouth ajar, clicking his teeth together within the silence. His confusion as he whispered another apology, digging into Jeonghan’s skin.

“ I asked, what the fuck did you do?” Jeonghan repeated.

“ I don’t really know… what we are talking about.” Seungcheol admitted, his lips widening into an awkward grin.

Jeonghan narrowed his eyes, kicking the chair back as he stood. Immediately, Joshua jumped to his own feet and Seungcheol sluggishly followed. The tumbling of the wooden chair echoed, but not another sound was made.

Joshua cautiously took a step forward, a hand defensively placed in front of Seungcheol. Jeonghan squared his shoulders, his eyes scanning the room. Their heart beats steadied. Every movement slowed. The world seemed at a stand still.

Then Jeonghan moved. He twisted at the waist, grabbing the fallen chair. With a single motion he spun, flinging the chair towards the other two. Joshua reached a hand out, mumbled a syllable of a spell. A purple light rushing from the man’s hand towards Jeonghan. At the same second, Seungcheol curved his body, shielding his boyfriend from the chair. As the purple light slammed into his chest, Jeonghan gasped. His body crashing into the wall behind him. Seungcheol gritted his teeth as he felt the chair scratch his back.

Another silence.

“Jeonghan.” Joshua stated. “ I advise that you don’t try that again.”

The man in question, stumbled to his feet, before rushing forward. Joshua was covered by Seungcheol, who didn’t even flinch as Joshua squeezed an arm out from under his own, and sent another purple blast towards the stranger.

“FUCK!” Jeonghan exclaimed, as his bare chest felt the magic scar. However when he looked down, there was nothing on his chest. It stayed bare, and spotless.

He rolled his shoulders. Clicked his head. With a deep breath, he ran forward. With the first step, he wished for his dagger. He imagined the silver lining grazing his palm and then, he felt it. He dug his foot into the ground, twisting as he brought his arm back. He spun forwards, letting the dagger slip from his fingers.

BAM!

Before Joshua could react the dagger cut into Seungcheol’s shoulder. Joshua gasped, grabbing at his boyfriend milliseconds after impact. For that moment, Jeonghan smirked. He watched the blood begin to seep from the corners. The blade wobbled only slightly.

But then, the blood stopped. The dagger, as Joshua pulled it out, was clean. It toppled to the ground. It vanished into a purple smoke. Joshua eyed the closing cut. Seungcheol moved his head, staring at the space where an unbearable pain was moments before. He then lifted his gaze, sending a look of a thousand questions to Joshua, before turning his attention to his marksman.

Jeonghan had toppled to the floor, hands grasping at the back of his right shoulder. “What?” He mumbled to himself.

“ Are you okay?” Seungcheol asked.

Jeonghan whipped his head up, eyes wide. “ Am I okay? Did you just fucking ask me if I’m fucking okay?! What did you do to me?!”

“What did I-,” Seungcheol began.

“YES! What curse did you put onto me?” Jeonghan hissed, eyes digging into Seungcheol’s. “ What kind of monster are you?”

Joshua’s own eyes narrowed. “ I’m pretty sure we aren’t the monster here.”

“ You fucking child-magic-using-asshole have no part in this conversation.”

“Actually, I’m probably the only one that can end this goddamn conversation.”

“ Listen here-,” Jeonghan began, an accusatory finger reaching out.

“Stop.” Seungcheol said.

Instantly, Jeonghan felt his throat restrict. Automatically, his hands reached for his neck once more. A torturous itch began in his throat, his nails subtly tried to claw at it. His eyes never straying the other two.

“…Please?” Seungcheol added, having seen Jeonghan’s reaction.

“ First of all, Seungcheol doesn’t know any magic, so it would be impossible for him to have put a curse on you.” Joshua announced. The words did little to ease Jeonghan. “Second, you come in here, fight with my boyfriend, destroy my chair, and throw a dagger at us and you want to call US the monsters?”

“ Counter argument. I spent who knows how god damn long in darkness. The first thing I really hear is something about selling me, and then I find myself in this god-awful place. I don’t know how you found me. I don’t know what you want from me and worst of all I don’t know why I’m bleeding and your fucking boyfriend is not.”

“ Talking to people usually helps people find answers. Trying to kill people on the other hand; That’s really lousy communication skills.”

“ Communication skills? You want to talk about communication skills Mr. I’m too busy trying to murder a book so I touch the intruder in my house instead of saying hello? Yeah, no.”

Joshua narrowed his eyes. “ I hadn’t thought the half-dressed man in my house would be that much of a problem.”

Jeonghan straightened his shoulders, arms crossing. “ Is this a common occurrence for you?”

“What?”

“ Half-naked men getting so close to your boyfriend when he’s home.”

Seungcheol quickly jumped in; “THAT IS NOT WHAT WAS HAPPENING”

His words went unnoticed.

“ I trust my boyfriend. A concept you clearly don’t understand.”

“ Oh no, I understand trust. I’m just not dumb.”

“Right. My bad. You dumb? A smart genie would know what would happen when they attack their own master. A smart genie wouldn’t confuse contracts with curses, now would they?”

“ What fucking master- a genie?”

Seungcheol fiddled with the tiny compass as Jeonghan’s eyes glazed over. The half-dressed man stared into the fire as if it held all of the answers. Beside him, Joshua sighed, rubbing his hands across his face, scrubbing the tired out of his eyes.

“ I’m going to make dinner.” Joshua whispered.

Seungcheol quickly nodded his head, and followed Joshua’s footsteps. He vanished behind their wall into the small kitchen. As he heard the sink run, he turned his attention back to Jeonghan. His blonde hair had fallen lifelessly over his eyes. His lips moved slightly, as if struggling to form a word, any word.

Awkwardly, Seungcheol shuffled over to the man. He gently placed the compass onto the other’s lap. He expected the hands to spring out, grab his wrist. He expected the compass to be flung across their room once more. However nothing happened. The blonde-man sat frozen.

Seungcheol then pushed himself onto his knees, to his feet. As if on autopilot, Seungcheol cleaned up the mess of their living room: The chair was placed back. The rug was cleaned. Pillows were stacked. All the while, Jeonghan stared into the flickering flames. As Seungcheol circled the boy, he saw the pale back of the blonde, soaking in his blood.

The black haired man, shuffled on his feet, before finally sliding to the kitchen. Silently, he grabbed a wash cloth and dabbed it under the water. Joshua glanced up at him but said nothing. Seungcheol wondered if the other had already known what he was going to do.

Joshua usually knew. Seungcheol didn’t know how he knew, but he always did. Somehow.

Once he was prepared, Seungcheol sat himself at Jeonghan’s back.

“It’s going to be cold.” Seungcheol whispered.

Gently, he placed the dripping cloth onto the blonde’s back. Within an instant Jeonghan jumped up. His eyes wide, searching, like when he appeared out of the compass. Seungcheol hadn’t looked so close then, but as he watched the blonde’s jittery movements, he would have sworn he saw fear.

As slow as he could, Seungcheol raised the wash cloth to the man. Jeonghan huffed, grabbing them quickly and moving himself away from the other, struggling to clean his own wound.

“ Let me help.” Seungcheol muttered.

“Fuck no.” Jeonghan hissed, continuing to suffer a few feet away.

The night ended like that. Jeonghan curled himself next to the fire, a dagger flickering in and out of existence beside him. Joshua and Seungcheol ate in silence. For Seungcheol it was slow getting to sleep. For Jeonghan, sleep never came. For Joshua, it was quick.

However as the sun rose across the hills, Joshua woke with a start. The rose-haired boy’s eyes widened as a cold bone met his neck. His lips parted, fingers twitching. Above him stood an emotionless blonde haired man.

“ Get up.” Jeonghan ordered, his voice monotone, deep.

Carefully, Joshua pushed himself off the bed, the blanket falling to the side of him. Behind him, Seungcheol curled into the blankets, a hand reaching into the cold air where Joshua once laid.

“ Come with me.”

Joshua nodded, lips sealed. His hands however, glowed a threatening purple. Quietly, the two maneuvered into the living room. The fire was out, its last breath floating through the chimney. The sun was shining through their broken windows. Shadows danced across his floorboards.

Joshua loved the morning. He loved walking through his house to see the world come to life. Every morning the shadows followed the same patterns, but somehow every morning they felt different. His fire would be out, but the sun would shine in the same spot, as if still keeping the light of their home alive. The birds of the town would sing. He could watch the early business workers stumbling out of their homes with their wagons.

The best part of the morning was when he’d first wake up though, and Seungcheol would still be at his side. They were both terrible at staying attached throughout the night, the heat being their greatest enemy. Despite this, Joshua discovered Seungcheol would always find a way to keep them attached. It was always different.

Sometimes Seungcheol would push his arm under Joshua’s pillow. Other times, he’d curl their pinkies together. Occasionally, an ankle would be hooked around his. Some mornings, Joshua would feel Seungcheol had curled a finger around a strand of his hair.

Whether it was conscious or not, the actions always made Joshua’s heart flutter.

So as he was maneuvered away from Seungcheol, his first breathe of the day no longer spared for his whispered adoration to him. but instead wasted on a frightened gasp left him with only annoyance. Not even the sun beams could relax his shoulders.

Joshua could feel the coldness of the magic fluttering around his palm growing. But then his wrist was grabbed, and the gold compass was pressed into his palm. The compass froze instantly from the magic. Joshua watched as Jeonghan’s body twitched, goosebumps traveling all over his bare chest.

“ W-what?” Jeonghan stuttered as he began to rub his arms.

Despite his annoyance, Joshua relaxed. His magic dimmed.

“What?” Jeonghan repeated.

Rolling his eyes, Joshua responded; “ What do you want?”

The blonde shook his head, as if pushing away the daze. “ I want you to explain.”

“Explain?”

"How did you know I was a genie?”

Joshua scoffed. “ How didn’t you?”

“LISTEN!” Jeonghan exclaimed, grabbing Joshua by the shirt collar. With a flinch, Joshua dropped the compass. “ Just fucking explain to me what’s going on.”

Joshua let his arms dangle at his sides, his eyes drooping as he stared carelessly into the other’s. Jeonghan’s eyes rapidly scanned over the other’s face. When there was no response, Jeonghan shook him by the shoulders.

“ ANSWER ME.”

“No.”

The response was quick, steady, unrelenting. Jeonghan curled his fingers into the fabric tighter.

“ Let me rephrase, answer me or I will kill you.”

“ Good luck with that.” Joshua shrugged, finally reaching to grab onto the hands holding him. He tugged softly, but the other didn’t budge.

“Fine, I’ll kill Seungcheol.”

Joshua’s eyes narrowed. “You know full well that that wouldn’t end well for you.”

“ That is true but it wouldn’t end well for you either.” Jeonghan grinned, his lips stretching scarily so.

Joshua tugged at the hands again. Jeonghan only dragged him closer, their faces only inches apart. The smaller of the two took an uneasy step back. Jeonghan only smirked.

“ So? Will you tell me?”

There was a long pause. Joshua closed his eyes. He breathed in. Out. In. Out.

He let go of the wrists holding him.

He avoided the other’s gaze. “Fine.”

"Good.”

“On one condition.” Joshua announced.

“That I don’t kill your boyfriend, got it.”

Joshua shook his head before making direct eye contact. “ No. You have to give me three wishes. I mean that’s lesson one, Mr. Genie. You give your master three wishes.”

Even though Jeonghan never said a thing. Even though his eyes held only hatred at the man. Even though Joshua could feel the betrayal seeping off of Jeonghan’s skin, the agreement had clearly been made.

Jeonghan dropped his hold.

Joshua wondered who really had the upper hand in this fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Happy October! (I am typing this one my phone)
> 
> Okay! The story is finally rolling! I’m excited yet nervous. Had I planned this out better these chapters would have been only one! However I did not but it’s okay. 
> 
> Some of you had said jeonghan seemed like a genie in the last chapter. It seems you were right. However the concept of a genie may not exactly be what you are expecting.  
The rules have been changed and with it so has the world.
> 
> Please stay tuned for the future more enticing updates!
> 
> By the way to all of my followers. I am going to give you advice on something that I am also working on. So take it with a grain of salt, and if you have advice if your own please leave it in the comments.
> 
> I have always been pretty good with time management but as of this fall I have let time slip from my fingers and vanish into a void. So as a result updates will be a mess until further notice.
> 
> Make a list. Any list. Schedule the important things and PUT A FUN ACTIVITY ON IT! Make the fun mandatory too!!
> 
> Now the most important thing about time management.  
It doesn’t all have to be done right away or perfectly (despite what they say) I know for many including me it is hard to inspire ourselves or convince ourselves to do something even simple things like eating.  
If making a whole meal is too stressful for you, and the concept of planning is too much, then don’t do it. Buy the prepared stuff. Carry snacks around with you (healthy ones). Just because it doesn’t follow someone else’s definition of a meal doesn’t mean it’s incorrect.  
And also, give yourself a pat on the back for completing what you did. You didn’t finish everything? That’s fine. You still finished something.
> 
> Your obedient servant,
> 
> V.AY


End file.
